New Haven cop arrested in DUI crash that killed fellow officer leaves jail, hires well-known Las Vegas lawyer
The off-duty New Haven police officer arrested after a Las Vegas DUI crash that killed fellow Officer Joshua Castellano and injured five others has been fitted with an ankle bracelet and released from jail.
Officer Robert Ferraro was no longer at the Clark County Detention Center as of early Wednesday, a midnight shift worker said.
He and family members met with and retained high-profile defense attorney Gabriel L. Grasso Wednesday, said Angel Garcia, a Grasso spokesman. Grasso was a member of O.J. Simpson’s defense team after Simpson’s arrest in the 2007 Palace Station Casino memorabilia robbery.
Ferraro is scheduled to return to Las Vegas Justice Court Thursday.
He posted $100,000 bail after a Saturday bond hearing but remained in custody Monday waiting for authorization to be fitted with an electronic monitor. His electronic monitoring is considered “high-level,” court documents show.
The conditions of Ferraro’s release include abstention from alcohol and drugs. It wasn’t clear where he is staying.
Also on Thursday is Castellano’s wake. Hours of visitation are from 4-8 p.m. at the West Haven Funeral Home on the Green, and a Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at St. Mary’s Church, 5 Hillside Ave., New Haven. His burial will follow in Grove Street Cemetery. Castellano’s body has been brought back to Connecticut, and officers gathered to salute him in a procession.
The deadly crash happened shortly before 4 a.m. Friday.
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Ferraro was driving a 2020 Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV with three other officers and two Texas women “at a high rate of speed” when he lost control. He struck a Ford Mustang that was in a private driveway and flipped, ejecting Castellano.
Castellano, 35, who had been on the New Haven police force seven years, was taken to the hospital, where he died. The other occupants of the luxury SUV, including New Haven officers Matthew Borges and John Truhart, plus two women from San Antonio, Texas, had minor injuries, police said.
The driver of the Mustang also had minor injuries, they said.
Ferraro, who police said showed signs of impairment, was charged with reckless driving and driving while under the influence of alcohol, both felonies.
Christine Dempsey may be reached at cdempsey@courant.com.
